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Russell H., Service Tech

Category: Camera and Video

Satisfied Customers: 9547

Experience: 8+ years of professional experience

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Canon Vixia HF20 lens is stuck and screen stays black.

Customer Question

Canon Vixia HF20 lens is stuck and screen stays black. Camera will not initialize.Will lubricating it fix the problem or is there a contact or other electronic part that needs to be cleaned or replaced?

Hi, thank you for contacting JustAnswer.com. My name is***** will do my best to provide the right answer to your question.

If the lens is stuck, you must remember that it is a very delicate mechanism. Forcing it might break it, instead of just freeing up its workings.

Try taking a piece of paper, and inserting its edge into the crack around the lens assembly, then moving the paper about a bit, to dislodge any grit that might be jamming the works. Then try the camera again. Also, try the following, and please answer the following questions after these things to try:

Try removing the batteries, and leaving the camera on a (dry, non-humid, non-dusty) shelf for overnight. Then put the batteries back in and try the camera again.

Then try cleaning the terminals in the battery compartment, after removing the batteries, first by rubbing off with a fresh pencil eraser, then by wiping the terminals off with cotton swabs moistened in rubbing alcohol, then letting them dry off for 5+ minutes with the battery compartment door open, then try turning the camera On again.

How long has the battery or batteries in the camera been in-use? If over a year, then you might possibly have a battery/batteries that are getting weak. Rechargeable batteries do get weaker with time, and eventually fail to deliver enough power to start up a device like a digital camera; they then need replacing. The replacement battery needs to be charged up for 6+ hours before its first use, owing to its having been on a shelf for a considerable time.

How old is the camera? in months or years since you bought it.

Has the camera been dropped or otherwise subjected to mechanical shock(s) in its lifetime?

Has the camera been operated in or subjected to, temperatures below 32 degrees F (freezing point) or above about 100 degrees F ?

Has it ever been subjected to a humidity higher than 85 % or gotten wet ?

Has the camera been operated in a gritty or sandy environment, such as a beach, a seaside, a construction site, or the like?

I am sorry that the response doesn't meet my requirements for a sufficient reply. The service was billed as equivalent to a Cannon service technician. This is what I needed. Someone who understood the inner workings of the camera. It doesn't appear that you realize that this was a video camera. Lesson learned for me!

Of course I know that the Vixia line is Canon's compact camcorders for the consumer electronics market.

All of what I said applies to the question. It all relates to the inner workings and the outer workings of the camera, I assure you.

I have recommended cleaning and treatment to you. But I do not recommend that you disassemble the camera yourself - unless you are quite good at disassembly and repair of finely made electronic devices, and have tools for such purposes, at very least.

If you object to my approach still, I will Opt Out of this case and give it up to another Expert here, in this category.